A child born of True Love
by ACalmBefore
Summary: Back from the Enchanted Forest, Emma discovers something shocking inside of herself, magic. And now, Gold wants to cash in on that favor she owes him. As she struggles with her new found family and her new found powers, she finds both are beyond her control. And will she fall prey to a darker side of magic? And who is to say what side that is anyways?/ Complete. For now :)
1. Chapter 1

Emma sighed. She felt mentally destroyed. Everything, all of this! It was just too much. She felt herself actually longing for those years of solitude she had. Years of quiet empty apartments, the simplicity of her own thoughts and the easy freedom of a long stretch of highway. She had been so alone, in denial of just how broken she was, but she had been comfortable. Now it was constant. The pain. It was constant. To be a part of this world, to be connected to others, to actually care so much, to love. It was painful. Ironically, among these fairy tales, was the most REAL she had ever felt.

Emma sighed once more and tugged on the collar of her jacket. There was simply no time for these emotions. She scolded herself. Cleared her throat and without knocking or pausing for any more thought, stormed into Mr Gold's Pawnshop.

She'd been in the pawnshop many times. Walked in without looking at the trinkets. Demanding Gold's attention while leaning aggressively on the counters. She had never given the myriad of objects in the dimly lit room much attention. Unwanted junk, she'd thought. Given up by careless people. She could relate, but she didn't want to, so she ignored it all. Now it was all different. This wasn't forgotten or unwanted junk, it was precious objects traded and given away for dreams of a better life. She paused slightly, her finger tips grazing over the hanging glass unicorns. She was still accepting this fact about herself as well. She wasn't unwanted, she had been sent away, or saved as they'd put it, for a dream of a better life. She snorted then slightly, she still found that darkly hilarious. Better life indeed.

"Ah, Emma. You've returned to us I see." Suddenly came a familiar voice behind her. Ah, Gold. She thought to herself, Still lurking in shadows I see... Ok here we go. She turned to face him.

"yeah, ..Gold, uh.. Hi" she stammered not really as smooth as she imagined herself. All this time he'd just been a slightly shady man who seemed to exert some importance and power in a sleepy small town. And for a brief moment in time, she thought maybe she could trust him. But not now. Now, he was Rumpelstilskin. While she'd been away she had heard many stories. It seemed like everyone had one about him, of this dark magical imp, who seemed to cause hurt and havoc and mischief wherever he went. Simple shop owner indeed. And it was him, she had learned, that was behind the whole curse. Manipulated and used Regina, and then uprooted and destroyed countless lives. Her anger at Regina had not changed, that women still knew what she had been doing. She was still accountable. But this man, or whatever.. he was apparently the puppetmaster. And Emma wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"Enjoyed your time away, dear?" He shifted slightly on his cane and gave her an unreadable grin.

"Yeah it was a real holiday in the sun." Emma dryly responded while pointedly walking towards him. "Lot's of mother daughter bonding time." She gritted her teeth. The pain of caring, it caused her anger to rise up. "Heard some lovely stories too.. " She came to a stop right in front of him "..mostly about YOU." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Oh! Well.. Miss Swan, stories are a dime a dozen." He continued his grinning, "And mostly I find.. they always leave out the best parts." He said this last bit while leaning forward on his cane and his tone turned almost mocking and slightly more high pitch. This caused Emma to flinch a tad, but she didn't back down.

"So then why don't you enlighten me?" Emma crossed and then uncrossed her arms, "Because it seems like you're the one around here with the most explaining to do." When Gold didn't respond right away she continued, "I know you're the one that manipulated Regina into enacting the curse! You caused all of these innocent people's lives to be destroyed and uprooted and possibly altered forever!" She swept her arm dramatically across the room, as if all these objects in the shop were the innocent people themselves. She paused but still he didn't respond. Instead he just stood patiently, hands on his cane, with an 'I'm waiting..' expression on his face. A slight dark grin on his face. It only angered her more. Did he not care? Did he not feel the pain of caring? Was he a complete monster?

She continued. Her voice raising dangerously, " And do you even have any idea of the world that got left behind? The destruction and desolation?! The pain all these people feel of being ripped from their loved ones?! Do you even know what it is to have loved ones?!"

At this a shadow did pass ever so slightly across his face. A sharp but brief spark in his eyes. His response was simple and his voice deeper then before, "Yes. In fact. I do."

"Oooh Really!?" Emma's eyebrows shot straight up in mock surprise, "Seriously?! Well then why don't you tell me what it's like?" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm and anger. She felt a bit shaky, she hated loosing control. "Because I'm still getting use to it! It's all new to me! Which is insane, I'm a grown women! But never! Ever! Had anyone ever cared about me, Ever!" Tears were ripping at the corners of her eyes, but her angry rant just continued. "And I never let anyone in either. I shut out all feelings. Because the only emotions I ever knew about were.. hurt, pain and fear. That's what I grew up with! I was a child, a baby, and you took away my family!" She took a deep shaky breath. Seriously. Stupid emotions.

"Ah yes I did" Replied Gold, his eyes steady and his voice calm. "But not without reason."

"Reason!?" Emma felt like she was losing her mind, "What possible insane crazy reason could you possibly have?! Everything is a disaster and it is because of your cur-" She stopped suddenly. Choking back on her last word. She had brought her hand up to point in his face and now it was in front of her. Between them both. She felt the wind knocked out her and she struggled to breath. Her hand.. was glowing.

A pale purple light glowed from inside -INSIDE?! Seriously?!- inside her hand. She held it up in front of her face, turning it this way and that. Not quite believing. Her hand was glowing purple. She looked down then and realized.. BOTH of her hands were glowing. She held them both up. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were wide. What.. The... WHAT.

"Magic Dearie." Gold's voice shook her from her daze. She looked up at him accusingly. "Oh it's not me, my dear, it's all you. In fact you've always had it. True Love IS the most powerful, you know." He pointed his finger in the air. His voice had changed, it was freaking her out. "And YOU.. are the outcome of it!" He giggled now and threw his hands wide. He couldn't be serious. But he leveled his eyes with hers and it was plain to see he was serious. "Why just bottle up True Love in sad little nothing bottle.. when you can contain it inside of a much more powerful vessel." He raised his eyebrows and gestured towards her and she felt her entire stomach sink.

"..Why..?" She breathed. It was all she could say.

"Why?" Gold almost mocked her. "Why you? Why now? You.. because I needed a child born of True Love. Now? Well...now because, 1..you believe in who you are and 2.. you are finally letting yourself feel. True Love has no power with out feeling. And let me say.. it's about bloody time. I've been waiting." At this he raised his eyebrow dryly at her.

She had no words. This just couldn't be. She stared at him in utter disbelief. Her hands still glowing.. a little duller now, as she was slowly lowering them to her sides. Her mouth still agape.

He then placed his cane aside and clapped his own hands together, as if they'd just finished a hearty feel-good discussion. Then grinned and leaned on the counter, "Well then, dearie, let's talk about that favor you owe me."


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey kids! Quick author's note.. just saying hi. This is my first fanfic... blame it on the hurricane. I have an idea so i'm just running with it. we'll see.. Thanks for reading :)

-

Her hands had stopped glowing hours ago, but still she could not stop starring at them suspiciously. Emma was in the sheriff station. It... just seemed like the place to be. She sat, mostly unmoving, at her desk. Jacket still on, boots still on. Should she take a shower? Would that even help..? She didn't think there was enough water and soap to wash away the purple glow that she now knew was inside her. Still... how long had she been wearing these clothes... maybe she should take a shower. She was still human anyways.. right? Wasn't she?

She ran over the last several hours in her mind. Mr. Gold's voice echoing in her mind. "Magic dearie!" "...let's talk about that favor you owe me." She'd almost forgotten that she owed him a favor. She thought maybe she'd let a few parking tickets slide or something. Emma groan and picked her feet up and placed them on top of the desk in front of her and wrapped her arms over her face. She leaned back in her chair. WHY.

When she had stormed into his shop to confront him, she knew he was some sort of puppet master. But she had no idea to what extent. Was everything his plan? All of it? Even herself and who she is? It was bad enough being referred to as 'the savior.' Being expected to break curses and save everyone, but now she had... this magic thing. What would he expect her to do? And... could she... would she do it? It made her sick, her stomach swam like she was at sea. She pulled her hands down in front of her face again and stared at them. The world sinking in around her. She was magic, and he wanted to use her.

Just then her cell phone rang.

Oh right. Other people. Cell phones. Cell phone service for that matter. She really was back in reality. This was reality...right? She gritted her teeth, pull it together Emma, she thought. And reached for her cell.

"Emma? Emma where are you? Didn't you say you were gonna go talk to Rump-eh-Gold? That was hours ago!" Mary Margaret's voice came through into her ear.

"Eh.. yeah." Emma dumbly responded.

"Well.. I hope you didn't get your hopes up. He's not an easy man to deal with..." Mary Margaret's voice faded off slightly but then came back full force "Honestly I don't even really know what you were hoping to accomplish talking to him. He's always been nothing but riddles!"

"Yeah." Emma furrowed her brow. She wasn't sure what to say, she suddenly wanted to hang up and run away. At the same time she wanted to cry and tell her everything that had just happened. But saying it out loud would only make it all the more real, and she just didn't think she wanted that. "It was a pretty pointless conversation." Her voice came out flat, but it calmed her. She wanted to believe this lie.

Mary Margaret sighed but she sounded relieved, "Well where are you now? Come meet us at Granny's. Eat some proper food, you know, food you are actually familiar with." Emma could hear Mary Margaret's joking smile through the cell phone. "And hot chocolate.. you know you missed that!"

"Yeah.. Yeah I actually really did." Emma realized she really needed something normal. Nothing had been normal in weeks. "I'll be right over."

-

The next day. Freshly showered. Sheriff badge officially reattached. Emma sighed as she looked in the mirror. There was no normal, the most you could do was pretend.. put on the appearance. She had spent years in denial of her loneliness and emptiness, so being in denial was actually familiar and a comfort. To be in denial that things were not normal. She could do this. She adjusted her badge one last time and went outside.

Storybrooke looked pretty normal. David had actually done a great job managing everyone and getting the town cleaned up. She snorted, remembering David as the clumsy guy who cheated on his wife and couldn't get his act together. And now he was down in the mine's looking for fairy dust.. because that's normal. Just a normal day. Emma shook her head at the memory of the conversation yesterday at Granny's. David had talked about how the dwarves and him had been looking for fairy dust thinking it would help get Emma and Mary Margaret back. Yet when they had found a way back on their own, the decision had been made to keep looking anyways. "A little magic might be helpful, we're all still stuck here anyways." David had said while biting into his hamburger. Emma had just awkwardly looked at her hands when he had said that.

So it was decided. Emma would retake over as sheriff. And David would work full time in the mines. And Mary Margaret would go back to teaching. Totally. Normal. Nothing. Weird. Happening...

"Ah, Emma!"

No.

"eh.. Gold." She turned around reluctantly. Seriously, had he been following her?

He stood casually with his cane and grinning, "How are we feeling today," He eyed her badge, "Sheriff?"

She didn't want to think about yesterday. Her emotions had been out of control and she knew that was what caused... IT.. what caused it to happen. And she didn't want IT to happen again, she wanted to be normal. She sighed at the insanity of that thought. Maybe she wasn't as good at being in denial as she thought. But she just gritted her teeth and replied, "Fine."

"You know dear, we made a deal." He lowered his voice and leaned forward on his cane. "You owe me a favor and you are not getting out of it."

"Yeah...uh." Emma shifted uncomfortably and lowered her voice as well, "It's just.. whatever it is that you are asking..I'm not sure I can do it."

Mr. Gold chuckled as if this was a pleasant joke. "Oh,.. you can do it."

The ominous quality of this statement and what it implied sent a considerable shiver of fear through her body.

Just then several townspeople walked by, they smiled and waved at Emma while looking suspiciously at . "Emma!" "Welcome back!" "So glad you're safe!"

"Uh.. Yes.. Thank you!" Emma raised her hand to awkwardly waved back but immediately stopped and very quickly shoved both hands deep into her pockets. The townspeople looked confused but just continued on their way down the sidewalk. Emma sighed in relief that they didn't appear to have noticed her suddenly glowing hands. When they were gone Emma turned back to Gold in an angry whisper, "Can we talk about this elsewhere?"

"Of course.. How about the woods?"

Uh. Emma sighed. Really?...she was so sick of the woods. At least these ones didn't have ogres.

-

"But I still don't understand!" Emma was pacing in the shade of the trees. Her boots crunching the leaves, her arms crossed tightly in front of her. Mr. Gold seemed to have endless patience as he watched her calmly.

"You don't need to fully understand, dear." He responded. "You just need to do."

She stopped pacing and just looked at him in disgust. "I'm not a robot."

Gold sighed, and gave her a more human looking expression. "Of course not."

A moment passed before he continued. "Look, I have...things I need to accomplish. I, unfortunately, cannot simply do them myself." A shadow flickered across his face. He looked at her like he thought that was enough. She just stubbornly kept waiting. He sighed yet again and continued. "You heard how we can't leave town, yes? Well.. I have business outside of town."

"Have you heard of the internet?" Emma dryly responded.

Mr. Gold cleared his throat in irritation, "I need for the curse that makes you forget when you leave town to be broken. I need you to break it. That is my favor... For starters"

"Whoa! Hang on. For starters?! There's more?!" Emma uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips instead.

Mr. Gold laughed a low laugh as if genuinely entertained by her reaction. "There's always more. No one uses magic just once, dearie."

Emma didn't like the way that sounded. What did that even mean? She thought about what Mary Margaret had said about him being 'nothing but riddles'. She just sighed and shook her head. "Well... I've already broken one curse. Guess another one can't hurt. What do I do?"

Gold smiled at this and threw his hand up dramatically, "You can't actually DO anything till you learn how. So you must be taught!" He grinned at her like this was a fun game.

"Seriously? And you're gonna..what... teach me?"

"Well we can't have you running around with purple glowing hands you can't control, now can we?"

"I guess not. When do we begin?"

"Right away! of course." Then he giggled again. Seriously. Things were definitely not normal.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ugh... Well so far I'm just a very lame version of the Hulk!" Emma concluded throwing her hands up in exhaustion. "I get angry or afraid and my hands glow... and that's it!"

"I keep telling you Miss Swan... You need to control your emotions better. Then you control the magic. It's simple really."

They were in the woods. They had been in the woods all afternoon and all the previous afternoon as well. Gold's patience was wearing thin and Emma was irritated. Maybe this really was pretty pointless.

Emma sighed, "Can't you just break the curse yourself? Do you really need me to do it?"

"If I could just break it myself," His eyes narrowed as he mocked her, "Do you think I would be wasting my bloody time trying to get a rise out of you in the woods?" A darkness creeped along the edges of Mr. Gold's face.

"This isn't my idea of a swell time either..."

"Just concentrate already would you?!" He snapped, "Focus on your emotions...whatever they are...use those emotions to just FOCUS-" Gold was suddenly cut short by Emma's cell phone going off.

"Hang on there Obi Wan," Emma said giving him a quick roll of the eyes, "That's probably Henry." Emma flipped open her phone. "Hey kid!...Yeah. Uh.. huh. Horseback riding? Sweet. Yeah kiddo, I bet you are a natural! ...Of Course! Tell David I said hi...Stop calling him Grandpa, that's weird. ...alright. I'll pick you up later. See ya!" She was chuckling to herself as she lowered the cellphone only to look over at Gold who was eyeing her with new interest.

"Yes obviously..." He muttered.

"Obviously..what?" Emma was confused till she looked down at her cell phone still in her hand and saw her hands were glowing.. again. But this time a much brighter stronger saturated purple glow. Before it had shimmered and flickered a pale purple. Now the glow was so bright and strong it took Emma completely by surprised and she dropped her cell phone. She held her hands up again like she was seeing them for the first time.

"Love." Gold stated. "Obviously."

-

Emma was drained. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. Just completely drained. Her head leaned back on her pillow but she wasn't sure she would be doing any sleeping. Magic. She was thinking about it. The feeling of it coursing through her hands. But also in her heart. She had felt it inside her whole body. It had totally filled her up. After her cell phone call with Henry, Gold had her focus all her emotions on Henry and that's when.. well, that's when things got amazing. Like the greatest adrenaline rush she'd ever experienced. She had never in a million years would of thought it possible to experience something like that. The combination of joy and fear that it gave her. Control and yet utter complete lack of it. Like standing on the edge of a cliff. Mr. Gold seemed pleased with the progress, he even creepily giggled again, which she couldn't get use to. But she had yet to focus the energy outside of herself. She could stir it up inside herself, but in order to do anything with it she had to get it out. She wasn't even sure what that would be like. And once she did.. what would happen? What if she couldn't control it? What if she hurt someone? Her hands glowed a pale flickering purple in the dark room as she lay there. Casting slightly eerie shadows across the walls.

-

"So what are you not telling me?" Emma asked while leaning back on a tree. She was eyeing Mr. Gold as he leaned on his cane several feet away.

"What makes you think I'm not telling you something, dear?" His voice was level and calm.

"Why do you want to leave town?"

"Personal business."

"Exactly!" Emma walked right up to where he was standing and put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "What personal business?"

"Ah. Look who has their confidence back! Feeling a bit stronger these days aren't we, Sheriff Swan?" Mr. Gold gave her a cheeky grin while cocking his head to the side.

"Yes and look who is refusing to answer questions.. as always." Emma said with her own usual dryness. She crossed her arms and continued, "How can you expect me to help you if you don't tell me why?"

"Because it's none of your business- and for the record," He then stuck a finger sharply in her face, "You are not helping me, you are merely fulfilling your end of a bargain. This is not a fluffy charity case. And the sooner we're done the better. So if you don't mind, Emma," He said her first name with unusual intensity, "please focus."

Emma coughed and backed a few feet away from Gold, "Fine." She said to him with raised eyebrows. She closed her eyes and held her hands up in front with her palms facing each other. She steadied her breathing as if she was doing a yoga pose but instead of emptying her mind she filled it up. With thoughts of Henry. She focused mostly on the feelings she had when she thought she had lost him forever. She figured that helped to break the last curse she broke. Her mind flickered suddenly with the ridiculous thought if.. what with all the experience she would have.. if she should open up an official curse breaking business when all was said and done...

"Focus, Miss Swan."

Right. She filled her mind completely with Henry. His joy. His energy. His belief in even the unbelievable. Even his stubbornness, which she was convinced he got from herself. She then briefly wondered if she had gotten her own stubbornness from her own mother. Mary Margaret. She then allowed her mind and heart to fill completely with thoughts of both Henry and Mary Margaret.. and the idea of having a family...Always this shadow of a concept in her life was now a more solid and strong possibility. She felt a sensation akin to pins and needles.

"Ah. Emma... You've got it." Gold's voice sounded far away. She opened her eyes to brightest purple glow. It shocked her that it didn't instantly burn and blind her eyes. Yet she felt no pain. Only a great rushing sensation of exhilaration. And overpowering feeling of being complete. Between her hands hung a glowing orb of burning purple.. fire? What was it exactly? Joy? Power? Science? Magic? ...Perfection? She noticed her hands no longer glowed, that the glow was now completely outside herself and contained in this orb. She tried to take it all in. She looked up and saw Mr. Gold grasping his cane and grinning, he appeared like maybe he was saying something his lips moving but she heard nothing because a great rushing sound filled her ears as she looked up further and she felt herself turn cold. Henry. Henry was standing on the edge of the clearing in the woods. His eyes locked with hers and his small face was all fear and confusion and hurt. He turned instantly and ran. He had seen everything.

"Miss Swan.. Emma... What happened? You had it. You did it. ...You dropped it."

Emma blinked several times and tried to catch her breath. It was like the wind was completely knocked out of her. Her vision was all a blur. Finally her eyes focused on Mr. Gold. He was standing there looking calmly at her like what had just happened was a normal Tuesday afternoon.

"I...I what? I dropped it?" Emma finally found her voice.

"Why yes, you did." He gestured towards the ground in front of her, "Common mistake really for a first timer.. did something distract you?"

Emma looked bewildered down at the ground in front of her to see a circular burn mark. Like some one had a campfire there and then stomped it out. But a super intense kind of campfire that literally left nothing behind but the dust of scorched earth. She.. She did that? She looked back at her hands and then back at the ground. Seriously? What if that had been a person? What was she doing? Was she dangerous? A million thoughts ran through her as she struggled to keep breathing.

"I said..Did something distract you?" Gold interrupted her thoughts.

"Distract me?" Her thoughts flew to Henry. He saw her. The way he looked at her. The fear.. the hurt.. the betrayal... Henry! Oh no.. What he must think. What it must of looked like to him..

"Yes..Miss Swan, perhaps something is distracting you right now?"

"What?" Emma finally looked up directly at Gold, "No. Nothing distracted me." She lied.

"Good," Mr. Gold nodded approval at this, "Then you're just weak. We can work on that."


	4. Chapter 4

Emma raced up the stairs to the apartment. Her heart was pounding. All she could think about was Henry's face. The look on it. 'I need to explain. He doesn't understand. I need to explain.' Her thoughts running in circles. The whole time the more terrifying thoughts pushing in at the edges. 'He must think I'm a monster.'...'Am I a monster?' "No!" She muttered angrily out loud as she flew up the last steps. Her last thought before she barge in through the apartment door was...'Oh God. What if I am a monster?' She shook the thought out fast as she entered the apartment, out of breath and well... glowing.

"Emma!"

Mary Margaret had cried out her name in surprise when she entered. Emma looked and saw her and Henry standing together in the kitchen.

"Henry!" Emma ran towards them and then quickly stopped when Mary Margaret protectively put her arms around Henry. "Emma..." Her voice was more of a low whisper now. A mixture of shock and confusion. "Emma... you... your..."

Emma looked down and realized then she was in fact glowing a dull pale purple. 'I'm a freak. I'm a such freak.' She thought, 'Calm down.. Stop feeling things..' She tried catching her breath.

"She was doing magic! In the woods with Mr. Gold..I saw them!" Henry cried out. His face full of distress. Mary Margaret held her arms around him gently. While her face took in Emma. There was something almost heartbreaking about the expression on her face. "..Emma?...You were ...doing magic...with..." She lowered her voice to even more of a shocked whisper and placed her hands over Henry's ears, "...Rumpelstilskin?"

"Ew. That. NO. You make it sound so..."

Emma was cut off by Henry pushing Mary Margaret off him exasperated, "I know who he is! Everyone knows who he is! The whole town is out of the book!"

"...Out of the book?" Mary Margaret and Emma in bewildered unison.

Henry shrugged, "Yeah that's what I've been calling it. Mostly just to myself. And my horse..."

"Ah huh." Mary Margaret nodded thoughtfully at this.

"..That's actually pretty clever, kid." Emma stuck her slowly fading hands into her pockets and grinned down at him. Forgetting for moment what they were talking about and just admiring his clever little weird adorableness.

Then Henry continued his rant, "And everyone knows that Rumpelstilskin is evil! And The Dark One! And his magic is evil!"

Oh.. Right. That. Emma felt herself sinking again. Shame. Regret. Confusion. Fear. She angrily stuffed her hands deeper in her pockets trying to hide the glow. It was always happening stronger now, and she felt she had very little control over it.

"He's worse then my mom, Emma! His magic is bad!"

"Henry.. I don't think.. this was his magic.." Mary Margaret spoke slowly and carefully, her attention back on Emma. Mary Margaret was looking at Emma as if for the first time. There was something in her expression that almost made Emma believe she knew everything. It made her want to burst into tears and she felt the glow get brighter.

"I don't understand." Henry looked at both of them.

"Neither do I kid." Emma whispered almost crying.

Mary Margaret suddenly shook her head and appeared to quickly pull herself together. "Henry, why don't you.. um.. head over to the stables? It's uh.." She looked brightly at the clock, ".. It's about the time that.. uh.. David is usually over there. Meet up with him okay?" She nodded sweetly at him in a way that said, 'this is not a request.'

"Alright.." Henry was reluctant and looked at them warily but nodded in agreement.

"Oh Henry!" Mary Margaret caught him quickly by the arm before he left, "Don't say anything. About.. this. To David. Or anyone else..Okay?"

"Okay." He looked at Emma and then back at Mary Margaret, "Is Emma.. gonna be.. Is she..?"

"Yes." Mary Margaret nodded furiously, "Yes, Yes she will be fine."

They all got the impression that she was saying this mostly to herself.

Then Henry quietly left.

-

"He said it had something to do with True Love?" Emma's voice was hoarse now, but calmer. She sat at the kitchen table with Mary Margaret and two mugs of hot coco that were nearly empty at this point. Mary Margaret had convinced her to put her hands on the table, which were pulsing now.. a dull pale purple glow. Slowly fading.. as she continued to calm herself.

"Yes, of course..." Mary Margaret shook her head in awe, "I don't know why I never...thought. I never thought that this was an option..." She trailed off thoughtfully and squinted at an empty wall.. "He was always saying he was invested in our future...I thought.. that was maybe what he said to everyone?" She shrugged pathetically at the last part.

"Ugh.." Emma let her head fall down on her arms on the table.

"But Emma!" Mary Margaret reached out to her shoulder. "Why.. Why didn't you tell us? Why were you...keeping it a secret?"

"I was scared." Came Emma's muffled response, her head still down on the table.

"Emma...we.." Mary Margaret sighed and trailed off, she sounded like she was searching for what to say.

"I know." Emma sat straight up and leaned back with a sudden onset of sarcasm, "I know! You would love me unconditionally for ever and ever and it wouldn't matter that I was a freak of nature who makes fire balls with her freakish glowy hands and god knows what other monstrous things!"

"Hey!" Mary Margaret sat up straighter too, "You are not a monster! And we DO love you no matter what!"

"Yeah. I know. Enough to throw me away into a wardrobe." Emma's dry response that she regretted even as she was saying.

"Not. Fair." Mary Margaret stood up suddenly. There was actually a darkness in her eyes and a sadness pulled across her face. "We loved you so much and we were scared. We didn't know for sure what would happen.. we only had hope." Her voice was thick and she leaned forward over the table. "And I'm sorry that I don't know what to say or do that's right. I've never... actually had a chance to be a mother before."

Emma sighed deeply at that and then started fidgeting quietly, picking at the old wooden table with her fingernail. "Well..." Her voice was back to it's usual dry flat tone and her eyes still fixed to the table, " This is what the teenage years would of been like..."

Mary Margaret sat back down with a sad smile.

"..Except... this isn't exactly the sort of..uh... physically changes... one normally goes through." Emma finished and looked up at Mary Margaret with a tiny smile.

Thy both exchanged a sad smile and a quiet moment together. Then Mary Margaret reached out her hand and grabbed Emma's, "I really do love you no matter what." Her voice quiet but full of impact. Emma lowered her face and then her hand started glowing a bright intense purple, emanating strongly across the table. Emma instinctually pulled her hand away and hid it under the table.

"Emma, Listen." Mary Margaret's tone changed to very no-nonsense. Emma briefly thought that perhaps this was her teacher voice, "True Love is a very powerful kind of magic. But just because it is born of True Love, does NOT mean it is innately good. Magic... Magic has many sources, some lighter and some darker. But once it is out in the world... Well, it's like people. They are what they are, good people... don't always do good things...in fact, we're all good and bad sometimes. And... using magic. It can be very tricky. Because..." She trailed off for a second, a look of worry passing over her face. "Using magic, practicing it, it's a lot like what drugs are in this world."

"Are you saying I'm a meth head?" Emma responded flatly with a tiny grin.

"No!... nooo. " Mary Margaret shook her head but didn't seem as amused. "You know how there are different kinds of drugs? Some are good and helpful. A cup of coffee in the morning. A little asprin. Cough syrup for when you are sick? These help. They make life a little better. Then there are drugs that alter you more completely. Drugs if used in a negative way, become... addictive. And if you are not careful, you become lost to it. That is what magic is like. If you are not careful.. you will lose yourself."

There was a pause as this last statement hung in the air.

"... Is that what happened to Regina...and Gold?" Emma finally spoke.

A light passed across Mary Margaret's eyes and she slowly smiled at her daughter. "Yeah," She nodded slowly, "I think so..."

Just then the door flew open and David rushed in with Henry right behind him.

"I heard! Henry told me!" David proclaimed slightly winded.

"Henry!" Mary Margaret twisted in her chair eyeing him accusingly.

"Okay. Don't worry," Henry announced with his hands up in the air, "I only told Grandpa. And my horse. I tell my horse everything..."

Emma sighed and brought her head back down on to the table.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hello! Just another quick note. Thanks so much for reading! I hope this isn't too convoluted of a story. I know that last chapter was a lot of fluffy mother-daughter stuff.. I guess I just felt that needed to happen. Gold/Rumple is back in this chapter... and even a glimpse of rumbelle for you shippers :) My real intention though is for this to be a story about what magic is...and what it can do to you. Let's see... onwards!

-

They were a family divided. It was 2 am and Emma sat with David and Mary Margaret at the large wooden kitchen table. The moon shone through the window, casting long shadows throughout the apartment. Henry was staying the night at Granny's. The three of them had already been through several rounds of hot chocolate. Mugs scattered on the table. Still their discussion continued. Emma darkly thought that most people have conversations with their parents about safe sex or long term life plans. They don't usually have ones about what to do once you discover you are full of magic. Granted the conversation was mostly between the two of them and not her.

"Am I the only one who sees this as a positive?" David asked for the hundredth time. "Don't you see?! Emma is suppose to break the curse anyways. Now she can simply use this natural gift. We'll set her up with Blue! She'll help Emma figure it all out. And Boom!" He paused to clap his hands. "We'll all be home together in no time!"

"No..No. First of all magic is never that simple. You know that." Mary Margaret shook her head. "Secondly, I am not totally convinced that Blue is even trust worthy."

"What are you saying? She's a fairy! Fairies are good and helpful... far better then her spending time with Rumpelstilskin." David looked bewildered at the very thought.

"No.." Mary Margaret continued shaking her head. "No. Blue lied to us. She lied! She told us that wardrobe could carry only one! There was enough magic for two! She gave the spot to Gepetto's kid. Who.. by the way!.. immediately abandoned our child. I should of been with her. Blue knows that."

"She was only trying to help.." David countered "We weren't the only parents concerned about our child."

Mary Margaret only sniffed and shook her head. While Emma just leaned back in her chair unsure if she even had anything to contribute in this conversation.

"Would you really rather prefer that she learnt from HIM? Who even knows what his real intentions are?" David spread his hands out on the table looking intensely at Mary Margaret.

Mary Margaret shook her head thoughtfully. "Emma says she made a deal with him. She owes him a favor. He's is not going to let her walk away from a deal. We know that much about him. I'd rather she cooperate then go against him. I don't want him to be against Emma. Besides Emma is strong and she is her own person. Just being around him isn't going to turn her into him."

"What favor is he asking for?" David looked between the two of them.

Emma sat forward and lazily cleared her throat. "He wants to leave town. He seems to think I can break down the curse around the town line."

"He wants to leave? Did he say why?" David looked interested.

"Oh yeah he gave me a very detail explanation." Emma yawned.

"He did?"

"No. Of course not."

"Ah." David thought for a minute before he started shaking his head. "I don't like the idea of the town line being broken. Once that breaks there's nothing keeping people here. They'll just start wandering off into the world. Who knows where they'll all end up. It's better if we all stay here united as a community. Strength in numbers! We've got to stay together and work together! So we can all find a way back to our world.. together!" He slammed his hand down on the table with the finality of having just given a great political speech.

Emma just eyed him calmly from across the table. "You miss being a prince, don't you?"

David just shifted slightly, "It was okay." But then cleared his throat and looked at Emma more intensely. "Emma, far be it from me to tell you how to live your life. But if you really want to help this town and your family, you'll work with Blue and the fairies. They'll help you focus your magic towards good. You can make a difference! "

Mary Margaret was sitting quietly through this with her arms crossed. Then she spoke up. "Having Rumpelstilskin on your side is not always a bad idea. The fairies can sometimes be too far removed from humanity, in my opinion. All I'm saying," She put her hands defensively in the air, "is Rumpelstilskin has helped us in the past. He may still help us now."

There was a long silence that followed that. Till David cleared his throat. "Well.. Emma." He turned and smiled at her. "It is your decision then."

Mary Margaret nodded in serious agreement. "We have faith in you and any decision you decide."

They both seemed pretty content with this. But Emma just felt worse then she had before.

-

Emma sat on the dock clutching a cup of coffee and starring out at the water. She always seemed to forget about this dock. Perhaps she had taken it for granted. Yet ever since returning from... over there... little things about this world made her happy. Take away coffee. Cell phones. Indoor plumbing. The sight of a sunrise over a small New England harbor. She knew what she was suppose to want. She was suppose to want to break curses and be with her family. She was suppose to want to return to the land from which she was born. To be reunited with the life that was torn from her as a child. Yet.. being there. Seeing it. It had oddly... meant very little. She hadn't felt much. Maybe it was once meant to be her childhood.. but it hadn't been. It was foreign. Nothing about it had felt like home. Nothing ever really had, honestly. Till Storybrooke. Till Henry. Even Mary Margaret and.. well... she was getting there with David. She felt horrible thinking it. But she couldn't stop.. Would it really be so horrible if they all stayed here, in Storybrooke, Maine, forever?

She groaned slightly as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The stress of her conversation with David and Mary Margaret was weighing on her. Is this really want it's like to have a family? To have loved ones? To feel like you need to please everyone at once while also fighting an urge to rebel and run. She'd almost done it once. Grab Henry, put him in the car and just drive right out of town. Go far away. Just like her old life, except now with Henry. They'd be free and could go anywhere and do anything and have a real normal life in this world. Her heart pounded excitedly at the thought.. till she looked down and saw the bright intense purple glow. Oh God. Seriously. They had been like that since she awoke that morning. The glow was constant and more intense and she could not control it. Just before she left the apartment she had angrily stubbed her toe and then nearly lit all the curtains on fire. It was like she had broken some seal inside herself in the woods with Gold. Now any intense or unexpected emotion resulted in almost a fire it seemed. She sighed deeply realizing this was her life now. What sort of mother could she possibly be to Henry if she was constantly accidentally lighting things on fire? What if she hurt him? She felt numb as the realization came over her. She knew what she had to do. She got up, stuffed her hands deep into her pockets and turned to walk in the direction of Mr. Gold's Pawnshop.

-

Trying to formulate the glimmer of a plan that she thought might make everyone happy, Emma strode down the sidewalk not quite seeing anything around her and keeping her hands in her pockets the whole time. She arrived at the pawnshop before she knew it, and entered. She paused slowly as she entered though, realizing there was someone else there. A young women was lingering by the counter. She had an arm full of books and was shifting around uncomfortably as if waiting. "Oh!" The young lady exclaimed quietly when she saw Emma entered. She was completely unfamiliar to Emma. Strange, she thought she had at least seen most people in Storybrooke before. "...um..Hi!" The mystery young lady called out with remarkable enthusiasm. She struggled slightly to put down all the books she carried on to the counter and then turned to wave a greeting with her hand. "I'm Belle! I.. uh.. I run the library. It's re-opened! You should stop by sometime! We have so many books.." She gestured happily towards the large stack on the counter as proof of this.

"Oh. Nice. I'm Emma," She kept her hands in her pockets but awkwardly shrugged her shoulders in a greeting. "I'm glad to hear the library is re-opened. Because if there's one thing this town needs... it's more stories." She said dryly.

"Ah, indeed."

Both women turned to see that Mr. Gold had mysteriously appeared behind the counter. 'Always making entrances..' thought Emma. She pursed her lips to show she wasn't impressed.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of so many lovely visitors?" Gold continued but Emma realized he was only looking at this Belle person, who seemed pretty focused on him as well.

"I.. well, just stopped by quickly to drop off some books that I thought..." Belle trailed a little and shifted back and forth between her feet. "I thought you might enjoy them." Gold was nodding but not saying anything. His hands skimmed slightly over the pile of books on the counter like they were precious objects. He looked like he could barely handle to look at her directly. A small smile on his face.

Emma scrunched up her own face. What was happening?

Belle bounced once on the balls of her feet and cleared her throat before concluding, "I picked them out specifically for you."

"Yes. Thank you. Belle." Gold said very simply his hands now resting on top of the pile.

Belle nodded and shrugged. She wrapped her arms across her chest and gave him a warm smile which he returned.

Emma just stood there awkwardly. Were they... having a moment? Who was this women? Did Mr. Gold have.. a girlfriend? Emma thought back again to all those stories she'd heard in the Enchanted Forest about 'The Dark One.' Those stories didn't sound like they were about a person capable of love. Yet when she confronted him on her return he had said he knew what it was to have loved ones. Like... this women? Ew. The idea of Mr. Gold romancing anyone was too much.

This had to stop. Emma cleared her throat.

Both Gold and Belle turned to look at her in surprise. "Right." Mr. Gold again placed his hands more firmly on the pile of books. "I'll let you know how I enjoy these." He ended with a polite grin.

Belle nodded once more and stated briefly. "Good. I look forward to it." She then turned to leave the pawnshop, the little bell over the door announcing her departure.

"Well!" Emma proclaimed and turned to Gold with a smirk on her face.

"Well..., what?" Gold looked unmoved by Emma's smirk as he hobbled around the counter with his cane.

"You have a girlfriend." Emma stated to him like they were on a 6th grade school bus. She then raised her eyebrows pointedly at him in mock horror. "'The Dark One'... has a girlfriend."

"The Dark One," He imitated her tone, "Is none of your concern, dearie." He concluded with a rather serious look on his face.

"Yeah...but," Emma finally took her hands out of her pockets and held them up. The glow of bright purple flickering across her face. "... it seems I might be a concern of his."

Gold barely flinched. "Easy there Miss Swan." His tone was as calm as ever. "Those aren't play things.."

"You don't think I know that?!" Emma responded irritably. "I nearly took out half my apartment this morning!" She lowered her hands in exhaustion and as if to prove a point they glowed more intensely and sent sparks to the floor that fizzled on contact. Emma sighed. "I have no control!"

It was now Mr. Gold's turn to sigh. "I have told you countless times.. You simply need to control your emotions and then you control the magic. You have all the control you need inside you.. just use it." He said this like he was explaining how to start a car.

"I... can't." Emma hated being so pathetic.

Gold then took on a tone of dark aggravation. "Miss Swan. Unless you have found yourself to be, in fact, possessed by a spirit outside of yourself. Then Yes. You. Can." A shadow passed through his eyes and he gripped his cane quite a bit tighter. His voice lowered rather threateningly, "You have the luxury of being your own person, do you not?"

Emma felt herself freeze under his stare. She had barely found the ability in her to gulp, when she suddenly looked down and realized her hands had stopped glowing. Like a switch had been flipped. They were simply off.

She looked back up at Gold, who had returned to his usual calm and leisurely expression. But confusion was written all over Emma's face.

"That dearie," He pointed his finger in her direction and then swung it back towards himself with a nod. "You can blame on me."

Emma sighed in relief while looking over her hands. "Great." She breathed happily. She looked up and gave him a smile but he was not smiling back.

"You came here to discuss something with me, did you not? Otherwise you are extremely early for our appointment. So.. start talking."

-

"No! Unacceptable! We had a deal." Gold's eyes had a wild intense look that Emma hadn't seen before.

"But I'm not backing out of the deal at all!" Emma insisted. "All I'm saying is David thinks that Blue and the fairies might be able to help me to find a way to send everyone home. I still intend to work with you to break the town line. I can do both. Plus... I'm pretty sure I need your help too. I have no idea what I'm doing..."

"You've got that right!" Gold interrupted while slamming his cane down. "Under no circumstances are you to work with the fairies! I absolutely forbid it!"

"What?" Emma gasped. "You don't have the right to forbid me from doing anything!"

"Well you cannot walk away from our deal! And the deal is you owe me a favor. The favor is you do as I ask. Break the town line and do not mess around with those despicable... fairies!" He practically spit out that last word.

"I really don't see what the harm is! Why can't I do both?" Emma was beyond bewildered. This was not the reaction she expected. This is what she got for trying to please everyone.

"The harm is that you succeed." His voice low, deep and threatening. "You succeed and you send us ALL home. That. Is. Not. Happening... Yet."

Emma stopped and stared at him. A new light flickered in her eyes. "Well...there it is." She took a step closer and gestured her hand towards him. "What's the real reason you created this curse? Brought everyone here? You have business in this world. Outside this town. What... is it?"

Gold also took a step forward but only to stick his finger in her face. He spoke through grimaced teeth. "I have told you before, that is not your business to be concerned with, Miss Swan."

"Fine." Emma took a step back from him and raised her hands in defense. Her voice was calm. "I'm sick of this. I'm walking away from whatever insane deal I made with you. When I agreed to it, I had no idea it would involve magic. Hell. I didn't even know magic was a thing that could exist. If you look at it that way... I agreed to it under false pretenses. So it's null and void. I owe you nothing ..Rumplestilskin." She spat out his true name at him.

Gold's mouth fell open. But there was still a very angry looking fire in his eyes. "No one walks away from a deal with me, dearie." His voice was so threatening that it sent a shiver through her body.

Emma swallowed hard. "Watch me."

"You really want to make that decision?" He pointed at her. "You said yourself you have no idea what you're doing..." He snapped his fingers and instantly her hands started to glow again that familiar bright purple. "Would be a shame really... wouldn't it? If you hurt someone? Mary Margaret? Little Henry?"

Emma shook her head furiously while backing away from him. 'No.. No. I'll go to the fairies. They'll help me..."

"Oh the fairies will help me!" He mocked her tone aggressively then narrowed his eyes. "The fairies know nothing that can help you! They were never human! They put on airs of being some sort of great assistance to all of creatures great and small.." He sarcastically waved his hands wide. "But they will never fully understand you!" He spat and pointed at her. "They will only try to turn you into one of them. Soulless!"

"That has to be a lie, no one is more soulless then you." Emma voice was quiet but intense. She then turned and stormed out. Leaving the door engulfed in purple flames behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma was in the center of a storm. She had left the pawnshop furious and then the bright purple glow took over her. She felt it rushing through her entire being as she angrily walked down the street. Was she walking down the street? It was hard to tell anymore. She felt that adrenaline rush again. She was back to feeling like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, except now without the fear because she felt the certainty fall over her, she wasn't just standing on the cliff - she was the cliff. She was the wind and sky. Everything above and everything below. She didn't even try to steady herself. She just let herself give in to the power. It was the feeling of control she had been missing. Ever since Henry showed up on her door step, every bit of control that she had carefully crafted for herself and her life had slowly been falling away from her. And now she had it all back and she felt a sense of completion that she desired. No body was going to call the shots for her. She breathed it all in, every ounce of it. Treasured the feeling as it coursed through her. When suddenly her bliss was interrupted by a loud honking noise and she quickly awoke from her obsessive inner cloud to realize she had been running-physically running full speed- and she had just run straight out into the road. A car was headed right towards her, honking and frantically trying to come to a stop. Emma flinched, she couldn't help it. Her hands flew out in front of her. A million times she would later run this through her mind and try to tell herself it had only been instinct. She had only acted out of fear and instinct. And before she could comprehend, there was a bright purple flame before her that over took and blocked out everything else.

-

She breathed in. She breathed out. Her mind trying to comprehend what had just happened. She felt like a million particles of purple ash were settling around her and she tried to blink her eyes to see through it all. Finally things started to register. The over turned car. The swarm of concerned people who gathered around. Some trying to get to the trapped passengers. Some looking at her in utter fear. 'At me?' Emma tried to understand. Her mind wouldn't allow her to understand. But then slowly the pieces came to together. No. She looked down at her hands. No. She looked back at the over turned car. Violently overturned, almost as if by the hand of a giant. No. The passengers were gently being pulled from the wreckage. They weren't dead, but appeared to be pretty beat up. Who were they? Did it even matter. They were people. Innocent people. She saw more and more people turning to look at her with horrified expressions. Fearful whispers floating around her. No. No. No. Without one more thought she just turned and ran.

It was deep in a clearing in the woods. Emma was collapsed on her knees trying to control her breathing. Her hands out in front of her like when she had first conjured up that fire orb. Except this time she was attempting to calm down and make the glow subsist. It was so hard, she was so scared and she couldn't stop shaking. What had happened? What had she done? She had stormed out of the pawnshop in such a rage and she had obviously let it take over her. She had just been so tired of dealing with Gold..Rumpelstilskin..The Dark One..whatever the hell his name was. He seemed to expect her to perform without questions. Treating her like she was a means to his own secretive end. It would be different if she felt like she could just trust him, but after hearing and learning all that she had about him in the Enchanted Forest, she just didn't think that was possible. He was a monster, and apparently so was she. She took a deep shuttering breath at that full realization, she was a monster. Maybe David had been right all along, maybe she should just go to Blue and the fairies.

She then heaved a great heavy sigh and let her hands and head drop forward. Her hands only glimmered slightly now and she muttered "okay.. I'm okay. I can do this."

Emma took a long quiet moment to lean against a tree and think and breath. She stayed there so long feeling numb, she watched the sun move between the branches of the trees. A small thought had been tugging around the corners of her mind..what about Regina? Other then Gold and the fairies, she was the only other person in town who had knowledge of using magic. But she frowned at the thought of going to Regina for help. Plus the word on the street ever since she and Mary Margaret had returned was that Regina was trying to quit magic. Emma let that thought roll around in my her mind for a minute. When she had first heard this, 'Oh Regina the Evil Queen is going to quit magic and redeem herself', Emma had just sarcastically snorted like, 'Yeah Right.' But now she looked thoughtfully at her hands and pondered over all the feelings and emotions that had been tied to her experiences with magic so far. And then Gold's voice echoed in her mind..."No one uses magic just once, dearie." And then Mary Margaret's warning of it being addictive. Emma just closed her eyes and leaned further back on the tree.

-

"So glad you are here. You must be frightened, no doubt. Just relax and realize that this is not a curse but a gift and a beautiful responsibility that you have been blessed with." Blue's voice was very soothing. Emma had never spoken to her before, but immediately could see why people seemed to instinctually trust the fairies. Emma sat on a plain wooden chair inside the convent while Blue knelt in front of her calmly. David lingered behind Blue with a strange proud father expression Emma had yet to see on his face. It seemed to say, 'I made you. And look at how great you are going to be.' This made Emma feel really uncomfortable so she avoided eye contact with him. David finally seemed to get the message so he clapped his hands and nodded.

"I'll leave you to it then." And he turned and left Emma alone with Blue. The other fairies were around as well. Emma noticed them fluttering about from room to room, speaking in whispers to each other and stopping briefly to glance at Emma. Her arrival seemed to have stirred up something in them, but she wasn't sure what.

Blue gave her a gentle smile and took her hands and placed them on top of Emma's, which were clasped on her lap. The fact that she was still dressed as a nun made this slightly unnerving for Emma. "Can I ask you a question? Why are you still wearing.. your.. um.. you are still dressed like a nun." Emma stammered.

Blue raised her eyebrows in polite interest and then stood up to standing. She offered Emma a hand as if to say 'you stand as well.' So Emma took it and stood, then Blue smoothed down her nun's habit with her hands and responded while looking Emma in the eye. "I suppose for the sake of structure." Emma nodded at this while Blue then put her hands lightly on her shoulders. "But let us discuss your gift of magic. As you may of been told, fairies are the oldest practitioners of magic in the world where we.. and you... are from. Unfortunately our innate abilities did not follow us here, nor were they returned to us when our memories were. The dwarves have always been wonderful allies to us and now they search tirelessly in the mines of Storybrooke for any signs of fairy dust that might be hidden. But now you have.. come into yourself." Blue's hands did a friendly squeeze on her shoulders. "And a child who carries the magic of True Love within her, has great power indeed. But as you have experienced, this power needs to be reigned in. You and your ability must be protected and fostered. And then in time you shall help restore us all." She spoke with all the calm and confidence of a bright summer's afternoon.

Emma was not thrilled by the idea of being fostered. She was pretty sure she'd been fostered enough in her life. But she couldn't deny the calming effect of Blue's tone and a strange wave of trust came over her. "Alright." She said.

-

Meanwhile Gold was angrily pacing around the back room of the pawnshop. He hobbled at first with his cane but then got frustrated with it and threw it against the wall smashing several things in the process. Who was he kidding anyways. He didn't need that stupid silly cane! He groaned and rolled his eyes while he snapped his fingers at his leg. He'd just restored a man's entire arm barely a few weeks ago, he could more then handle fixing his own pathetic limp. He shook out his leg as it was restored to full working order. He bent it a few times and stood on it to make sure. He'd only been doing it to keep up appearances, but appearances were starting to seem pointless. He sighed in relief and then turned to paced the room once more with an actual fluid movement to his outrage. He then just stopped dead in the center of the room and rubbed his fingers furiously over his eyes. He had to focus. 'Leave town. Find Bae.' Were the only words repeating in his head for weeks.. or months..? Years? Everything was a blur. The realization he couldn't leave town without sacrificing his memories had outraged him beyond belief. Then he almost lost Belle in the process. He still wasn't sure he had her. He groaned at himself and shook his head. Things with Belle would have to wait. He needed to find Bae. Or else it would all be for nothing. He could not fail. He just couldn't! He knocked over a chair for emphasis and pondered whether that actually made him feel better.

Emma was hope. At least she was suppose to be. That was the whole point of her. He threw his hands up exasperated as he started pacing again, actually enjoying the strength his leg was giving him. To be a fully functioning man ... or whatever... again. He had known it would be only a matter of time before those magic powers would show up in her. She was part of his plan. The escape part of the plan. The get home safe with Bae part of the plan. Regina had only been the beginning part of the plan. The tool needed to implement the curse. While Emma was the tool needed to break it. But not yet. Not. Yet. He needed to leave town first. It was this unforeseen problem of the town line that had thrown him off course for the first time. Up until that point everything was going perfectly. How could it not? He'd spent countless years perfecting it all. But when Emma's powers showed their pretty little perfect head right when he needed them, he had been beyond delighted. Perfect! He had thought with glee. Blindly he had been over-confident. He could not fail. His plan would not fail him. Emma! The little brat practically had her entire existence thanks to him. He'd pulled countless strings to make sure there was an, 'Emma', to even begin with. He shook his head in aggravation. Now that little ungrateful brat was gonna go straight to the fairies and he knew they would just feed off her magic to restore themselves and then return everyone before he even had a chance to fulfill his plans! Everything would be ruined! He angrily kicked the already toppled chair with his restored leg. Well, at least there was that, he thought darkly.


	7. Chapter 7

For the past two weeks Emma Swan had been living in a convent. Every morning as she took in her reflection at the mirror she snorted slightly, 'just another normal day in the life of Emma Swan.' she thought, '...here at this nunnery.' True, they weren't actually nuns. But the fairies all seemed pretty intent on remaining in their nun habits. 'For the sake of structure.' Blue had said. Emma soon realized that structure was indeed, very important to the fairies. 'From structure comes order and peace and harmony.' Blue had informed Emma on her first day there. She had insisted that Emma take up residence at the convent for her own safety... 'And the safety of others.' she had added with a vague raise of her eyebrows. Emma didn't need a reminder. She had been informed that the young couple who had been in the car were lucky and none of their injuries were life threatening. But this still did little to sooth her. So Emma did not argue with the order to stay at the convent. As bizarre as staying in a convent seemed to her.

The life style didn't exactly mesh well with her, but on a positive end, the calmness of the atmosphere had helped her control herself more. It was all early to rise and early to bed, and slow footsteps down long echo-y hallways and quiet rooms of contemplation. It wasn't really what she wanted, but maybe it was what she needed. And every day in the afternoon Mary Margaret and David came to visit her. 'Your parents are here.' One of the fairies would inform her every time. This never stopped seeming insane to Emma. She had parents... that were here.

They'd come in all hushed whispers and friendly smiles. David continued his proud father face, beaming at her. Every time ensuring her, 'You made the right choice. You'll see. You'll be a hero.' He seemed to particularly enjoy the idea of her being a hero. But Mary Margaret would give him a warning sad smile every time he pushed it too much. Mary Margaret indeed did less beaming than David. She'd take Emma's hands and ask how she was doing, always putting emphasis on how she was 'feeling.' She always seemed specifically interested in Emma's eyes, as if she was searching for something. This only left Emma confused. One day when David went to have a talk with Blue, Mary Margaret had leaned in and said 'I just don't want you to lose your 'Emma-ness'.. you know.. your spark.' She'd given her a huge encouraging hug and smile before heading out after David. It would take some time before Emma understood.

There were also conversations about Henry, Emma asked about him every day. Both would falter slightly when it came up, giving obviously practiced answers of 'He's great! Just fine.' 'He hates me doesn't he?' Emma would counter. 'Nooo..' Mary Margaret would insist while Emma gave her that I-know-you're-lying look. 'Well..maybe he's a little afraid ... not of YOU exactly.. but afraid of what happened.' 'Right.' Emma would sigh. 'He just needs time.' Mary Margaret would insist.

Besides visits from her.. parents. Emma spent most of her time sitting with various fairies throughout the day learning to focus her breathing.. focus her thoughts... focus her emotions...and ultimately focus her magic. 'The goal' Blue had informed her, 'is to create magic that is harmonious to the world around you as opposed to against it.' 'So not giant balls of dangerous purple fire?' Emma had dryly responded. 'Yes.. perhaps not that.' Blue seemed very serious. Emma wondered if she'd ever truly laughed at anything.

Emma worked with the fairies to move her magical energy through her fingertips slowly, as opposed to all at once in a rush. After the first week she had already succeed at creating some gentle long purple glowy ribbons in the air. They swam from her fingers and then drifted upwards in a spiral. During her second week she succeed at using the purple ribbon to spiral around an unbloomed flower till it slowly blossom...which made Emma smile..till it burst into flames.. which made Emma scowl. 'With time..' The fairy who was sitting with her had insisted. Emma only had gritted her teeth.. patience was not one of her virtues.

So those were her days. In and out they flowed almost as harmoniously as the gentle fairy footsteps through the hallways. 14 days passed as easily as the sun across a lazy afternoon sky. Emma could almost feel herself becoming serene as well... almost.

Then in her third week there, Emma and a number of the fairies started practicing something daily that Blue referred to as a 'Magic Circle.' They would stand in a circle and hold hands. Emma was to focus all her energy into her right hand and then focus her magic through it. The goal was for the magic to move safely around the entire circle, hand to hand, till it returned to Emma through her left hand. 'This helps you with focus and concentration.' Blue explained. Emma always gritted her teeth and kept her eyes firmly shut, finding the exercise to be quite the challenge. After these exercises, Emma felt herself so drained she had to retire to her bed at the convent. A heavy sleepiness taking over her and weighing her down. Something in the sensation reminded her of being sick, almost the feeling of hot tea and Nyquil. But when she awoke she always felt lighter and thought nothing of it.

Emma was slow to realize the eerie calm her life had taken on. But things started to feel off to her slowly. There was a slight off kilter feeling to the serene harmony of the fairies. It started to register to her one day when she happen to open her eyes during the daily 'Magic Circle.' She noticed the blissful smiles on the faces of the fairies. They raised their heads high and breathed deep. As if... as if... they were being fed something. Something long missed. Something they were eager to have back. Was it her magic? Were they feeding off of it? Emma only briefly wondered before the exhaustion took over again. Always that sleepy exhaustion afterwards.

Then there was the change in the behaviors of the fairies. They had moved slowly and quietly through the hallways when she first arrived. She was beginning to realize an energy seemed to exist to them that didn't before. Their footsteps were less slow, a lightness seem to take over them. Their whispers were less hushed and sometimes... sometimes Emma almost swore she heard light moments of laughter drifting from rooms far off down hallways. At first Emma thought they were just excited about the growing prospect of returning to their world. But then noticing the growing ways in which they looked at her, she was beginning to feel more and more uneasy. Something in their looks was hungry. To took awhile for her to put her fingers on it... but that's what it was. A hunger. Emma found herself looking forward to the 'Magic Circles' less and less, while the fairies seemed more and more delighted to take part. More and more fairies joined the circle everyday, and Emma was feeling more and more drained.

And then the nightmares started.

Her dreams were a tornado of voices. Gold's voice angrily spat, "The fairies know nothing that can help you!" Mary Margaret's concerned voice, "The fairies can sometimes be too far removed from humanity.." Then Gold's angry echo, "They will only try to turn you into one of them. Soulless!" Mary Margaret gentle, "I just don't want you to lose your 'Emma-ness'.. you know.. your spark." But then David's proud voice, "Fairies are good and helpful..." And his, "You'll be a hero!" Then Blue's overly calm voice, "You and your ability must be protected and fostered" Memories of the overwhelming bright purple fire and the overturned car filtered throughout her dreams. A screaming sound in her head...echoing loudly even when she awoke. The last thing ringing in her ears as she bolted upright breathing heavy, was Gold's angry voice..."They were never human!"... "They were never human... " Emma numbly repeated to herself one morning while looking in the mirror but not really seeing herself. And that was the day that everything changed.

Emma had taken to staring out windows. Watching from a distance as the people of Storybrooke moved about their days. Children with backpacks running to catch the bus. People with bags of groceries moving down sidewalks. Other's greeting each other with waves and calls of hello. She tried to imagine them all living in another world. Living other lives. Lives full of magic hats, wishes on stars, ogres, unicorns, sword fights and horsebacks. Yet they all seemed pretty peaceful here. Emma sighed and leaned her forehead against the cool glass. 'Would it really be so bad..' She wondered for the thousandth time though she hated to admit it '..would it really be so bad to stay here. Can't this be our home?'

"The grass is always greener, huh?" A voice awoke her from her daydreaming.

Emma turned quickly, slightly alarmed to be spoken to so directly from out of the blue. Standing beside her with a small smile was one of the fairies whose name Emma had learnt was 'Nova.' Emma had noticed that Nova tended to hang back a lot and didn't seem to be as much of a joiner as the others. As a life long loner herself, Emma had begun to feel a sort of kinship to the fairy, although this was the first time she had ever spoken to her directly.

"Oh sorry! I didn't mean to startle you. You just looked so lonely.." Nova nodded at her gently and then smiled hopefully. None of the fairies had smiled at her so directly. It was like they all looked at her.. but without seeing her. A feeling of being seen suddenly washed over Emma.

"Uh no.. it's fine. Really. I could use.. like.. a real conversation." Emma cleared her throat and looked away from the window. "But shouldn't you be off somewhere having... i don't know.. quiet thoughts about the beautiful gifts of the world.. or something?" Emma couldn't help her usual dryness and silently worried she would offend this fairy who seemed so genuinely friendly. But she was surprised when Nova just shook her head and laughed a little.

"Oh that's a lot of poppycock!" She waved her hand in dismissal. "Blue puts such importance on our structured days.. personally I think we should all have a bit more freedom." She whispered this last part looking both scandalized and amused by this idea.

"Yeah it does seem a bit excessive." Emma replied crossing her arms. "All this monotony. It's really started to tire me out. I've been feeling so exhausted..."

To her shock Nova started chuckling. "Well that's no surprise, I mean considering how-" And then she stopped abruptly. Her eyes wide with her mistake.

Emma felt herself snap to life more then she had at all in last several weeks."What..? What do you mean? Considering what?"

Nova just shook her head stubbornly. "Oh. Nothing. No. Don't listen to me. I'm full of nonsense... ask any of the other fairies." She gave a nervous sad laugh.

"No. Wait. Something is going on? Isn't it? Something is not.. totally as it seems. I've been sensing it. Don't tell me I'm crazy!" Emma frantically reached out to Nova's arm.

Nova tried to pull away but then a look of sadness came over her as she took in Emma's face. She sighed then and shook her head at the ground. Then looking around quickly for sign of the other fairies she silently pulled Emma closer into a corner and whispered. "Before you overreact you should know that we HAVE been helping you Emma. Everything you have been taught was indeed for your own benefit.. to help you control and use your power safely. But what you don't really know or understand is that magic to the fairies.. particularly the elder fairies like Blue.. magic is very important. For them to exist without it.. is almost like what it is to be a fish without water. So they have been helping you Emma... but they have also been... helping themselves to you."

"What.. you mean..like..feeding off me?" Emma's nightmare suspicions suddenly crashing into the daylight gave her goosebumps down her arms

Nova nodded solemnly. "Don't worry. You are fine. They can't take it away from you. It's like you... are a car in this world. A car that has perpetual access to gas. And when they feed off your magic.. its like they are leaving your engine running for extended periods and this lowers your energy. Hence your sleepiness. To refuel. The elders are so drawn to it.. it's almost like they can't help themselves..." Nova looked quiet for a moment. "You can't really blame them."

Emma just shook her head silently trying to understand.

"Don't worry!" Nova tried a cheerful expression and reached out to squeeze Emma's arm. "Soon we'll all back in our world and all us fairies will be restored with our natural magic again!" She said this with all the enthusiasm of a well trained salesman.

"When?... we haven't even started trying to figure out how to..." Emma stumbled through her words.

"Oh! Soon!" Nova insisted happily. "In fact I overheard Blue just the other day saying to the other elders that we didn't have to worry about him breaking the balance because your progress was so great that-"

"Whoa Wait!" Emma cut her off. "What do you mean? Worry about HIM breaking the balance? Who is him? What balance?"

"Oh noo.." Nova squeaked a bit. "No. No.." She shook her head and appeared to be speaking more to herself. "My big stupid mouth... I really am the worst..Blue is always right about me.."

Emma sighed and just tried to level with the fairy. "Look if you were me.. wouldn't you want to know?"

Nova looked up seeming confused by the idea of being anyone other then herself. Then she looked to ponder that. "Yes. I suppose I would."

"Then.." Emma gave her a hopeful look.

"Ooooh." Nova looked very upset with herself as she looked around again to see if any other fairies were hanging about. "Fine." She pointed in her face though. "You never heard this from me. I'm not even sure I'm suppose to know but because I'm such a curious busybody... I overhear things. Anyways.. the 'him' is Rumpelstilskin. Legend has it that many many years ago the Blue Fairy sent something very important to him away. Sent it here. To the world without magic. Rumpelstiskin was furious and ever since has been trying to find a way to get this world. To find his very important something. To get it back.."

"Which is why he made this curse in the first place..." Emma whispered with new understanding.

Nova nodded. She had to admit, she loved a good story. "But, apparently Blue doesn't want this to happen. That if Rumpelstilskin was indeed reunited with his very important something... it would somehow throw off the balance of the worlds. So you see, Blue is very motivated to break this curse completely and send us ALL home to our world.. including Rumpelstilskin.. to prevent this unbalancing from happening."

Emma nodded slowly trying to understand. "Do.. do you know what his... 'very important something' is?" She asked in a quiet whisper.

Nova shook her head and responded equally as quietly "No one knows for sure... but I have heard some legends claim.. it is his son."

Emma felt like she had been slammed with a ton of bricks in her stomach. Rumpelstilskin.. Gold... was looking for his son? His son. Her mind drifted back to the day she had confronted him at the pawnshop. His angry insistence that he knew what it was to have loved ones. Then later his insistence on having personal business outside of town. Then the way he'd stuck his finger in her face insisting it was none of her business. Was it his son? He would do all this... to get back his son? Then the realization started to hit her harder. Of course he would. She remembered being in the other world.. thinking of Henry left behind in this world. Her main motivation to get back had been him. Being away form him was painful. Being apart from him was a cruelness to endure. She fought. Fought harder then she'd ever had in this world. Fought to return to him.

"Can you imagine..?" Nova broke into her thoughts with her dreamy wonderings and a sad far away look on her face. "Loving something or someone that much..that you would fight for that long.. to that extent.. just to be reunited...?"

It hit Emma hard. "Yes" She stated. "Yes I can."

And then she turn and ran.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma ran. She tried not to think about what happened last time she ran down the streets of Storybrooke. Her thoughts were a fast blur but they were quickly coming together. 'The fairies were never human.' That had been the thought had been bothering her. After her conversation with Nova she began to fully understand how the fairies operate. They were outside of humanity. The elders were older then time and they saw it all laid out before them. Balance and Harmony. They had one goal with their magic, and that was to keep the balance. The serenity. The calm. The peace. The order. She had suspected this about them from the beginning. 'And what's wrong with that?' She had wondered from the beginning. It seemed like peace and harmony and order were all good things. But after living with it for close to a month... she understood. It just wasn't human.

It was the turbulence and discord that made us human. Our flaws and our mistakes. Nova hadn't really fit in with the other fairies... no wonder she had almost seemed human. Not fitting in was human. It was the unbalanced parts of us that make us human. Our anger. Our pain. Our... love. Without these things.. you were... well.. a fairy. She had told Gold that no one was more soulless then him. She realized the mistake. His anger. His fight. His passion to accomplish what he wanted. This made him human. This gave him a soul. She had been wrong to think him a monster. To think herself a monster as well. She had thought that in order to control her emotions she had to hold them in and make them go away. 'Stop feeling things!' She had ordered herself. Little did she realize she was ordering herself to stop being human. She now realized she could feel her feelings and be in control of them. She controlled her feelings by owning them. By allowing herself to feel and accept and then use them. She felt stronger then she had in a long time. Stronger in a healthy way. More human then she'd maybe ever felt. She had feelings. She had love. She had hate. She was a human and not a monster. And she wanted to be with her son. And she also had a favor to fulfill. Yeah. She knew what she was going to do. It was crazy and shakiness grabbed her when it came over her. But she was doing it even though it scared her. And that confidence calmed her.

Then as she was running she past the library and she paused. "Damn." She muttered out loud. "Really?!" She said out loud again to herself as if in the midst of an argument. Well.. No. She was doing this. This was happening. She had decided. So she rushed into the library. The women she had met in Gold's pawnshop was sitting behind the counter. No one else was around, in fact, the library appeared to be empty. She had her chin balanced in her hand while slowly turning the page of a book on the counter before her. She looked up surprised at Emma as she stormed in out of breath.

"You!.. you are coming with me. Come on!" Emma exclaimed. 'I sound ridiculous' she scolded herself. Like an over enthused knight.

"Excuse me?" Belle looked dumbstruck.

"Yeah seriously." Emma went over and grabbed her arm. "I'm sort of in a rush. Let's go."

"No!" Belle pushed her off looking alarmed "I'm not in the habit of just going with people just because they say so."

Emma sighed. "It has to do with Gold.. Rumpelstilskin?.. Okay? So let's go, alright?"

Belle at least walked around the counter looking curious. "What about him?"

"He's...uh... he's leaving town. I figured he'd want you.. you know like... with him." Emma said dumbly and shrugged. Her enthusiasm was wearing off. Why wouldn't she just come.

"Leaving town?!" Belle sounded alarmed and excited. "He found a way? To find his son?" She blurted out confused.

Emma's eyes nearly burst out of her sockets "YES. His son!" She pointed at Belle with excitement. "It IS his son he's looking for!" Emma cried excitedly, more to herself.

Belle looked super confused but let Emma guide her out of the library. "Yes.. his son...how did you know anyways? Did he tell you?"

Emma laughed while she waited for Belle to lock the library doors. "No. Are you kidding? He doesn't tell anyone anything..."

A quiet almost smug smile passed across Belle's face but Emma didn't notice as she egged her on down the street.

They had found Emma's trusty yellow bug parked out front of Granny's. Just where she thought she'd left it. Perfect.

"Where are we headed exactly?" Asked Belle nervously when she realized they weren't going towards the pawnshop or Gold's house.

"I need to get someone first."

"Who?" asked Belle

"My reason for being human."

"Huh?"

Emma smiled quietly. "My son. He's coming with me. He's always coming with me."

Twenty minutes later, Belle sat waiting alone inside the yellow bug. It was parked a few blocks away from the school and Emma had insisted it would only be a few minutes. Belle tapped her feet nervously, then she saw Emma coming back down the sidewalk with Henry in tow. Henry was talking excitedly and looking at Emma with confusion and another look. Belle bit her lip realizing that the other look was fear. Soon Emma was at drivers side door and pushing back the seat to usher Henry inside.

"It's hard to explain it all Henry. But we..." Emma stopped excitedly and squeezed his shoulder. "..We are going to be heros. ..Sort of." She pushed back the seat then sat down herself shutting the door behind her.

"Heros? But Emma.. how...how can you... with your magic.." Henry stammered.

"Hey kid!" Emma proclaimed and looked over her shoulder at him as she was pulling out of the parking spot. "I got this.. okay?" With that Emma waved her finger quickly in the air in a little circle. With that.. Henry's seatbelt was fastened with a brief purple glow. "See?" Emma turned quickly and grinned at him. "I got this under control. It's good. I believe I finally know what I'm doing."

Henry looked less fearful. But he still seemed confused. "So... WHERE are we going? ...With Belle?"

"Oh. Right. Do you know Belle?" Emma quickly gestured towards the slightly bewildered women in the passenger seat.

"Yeah.." Henry said with almost a tone of sarcasm that made Emma proud. "I've been to the library..."

"Hi Henry." Belle said sweetly turning quickly to smile at him.

"Hi." Henry said with little enthusiasm. "Where are we going?!" He asked again throwing his head against the seat.

"We are... leaving town." Emma said simply.

"WHAT?" Henry said loudly. "But the town line! People forget! Well... we won't forget... but what about Belle?"

"She's not going to forget. And neither will Gold."

"We're bringing GOLD?!" Henry exclaimed like this was the craziest thing he'd ever heard.

"Yep!" Emma smiled. "Think of it like a road trip... and a treasure hunt. Combined."

"A treasure hunt...?" Henry sounded super confused.

"Just trust me kid.. okay?"

"I guess..."

When they pulled up to the pawnshop Emma turned to Belle and said, "Do you mind getting into the back? I think he might have trouble with his cane-"

"Cane?" Belle cut her off and raised her eye brows at Emma. "You haven't seem him in awhile.. have you?"

Emma was taken aback by this. "Well.. uh.. I guess its been about a month..."

"Yeah well..." Belle sighed and raised her eyebrows. "Look in the way back. That's probably where he is."

"Uh. Okay." And Emma headed in.

The pawnshop seemed exactly the same. It was dead silent and no one could be seen or heard. So she headed to the back room and still no one. Till she noticed another door leading to a smaller back room beyond. So she headed towards that. The door was slightly ajar and she could hear the smallest of noises coming from inside. The gentlest clicking of glass. The softest shuffle of a foot. The quietest murmur of dissatisfaction. She gently pushed the door open and saw Gold. Or.. Rumpelstilskin. He had his usual suit coat off. His sleeves pushed up around his arms. He was working at table with what almost looked like a chemistry set. Beakers and bottles scattered. Books lay all over some open and some closed. None of them look like the kind of book you would get at the Storybrooke library. There was an old fashion spinning wheel in the corner that looked entirely out of place. The whole sight was quite odd. Emma cleared her throat. Gold suddenly looked up, alarm all over his face. He reminded her slightly of a wild animal caught in headlights.

"Emma!" He seemed incredibly taken by surprise. For the briefest of moments he almost seemed happy, then a dark shadow crossed his face. "What are you doing here?"

Emma took a deep breath. "Well.. for starters.." She raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm here to apologize." She took a step further into the room.

Gold stood up all the way from the table and Emma noticed that he indeed wasn't using his cane. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Apologize?"

"Yes.. you are not soulless. In fact quite the opposite, I -" She stopped as she looked around the room some more. Empty food containers and bottles of water. Cups of take away coffee.. long turn cold. "How long have you been in here?" Emma asked partially horrified at the mess.

"Eh. I've been working." Gold stated awkwardly looking around the room taking it in for himself. "Work that doesn't concern you." He stated more forcefully. "So.. thanks a lovely bunch for saying I'm not soulless or whatever. But I'll now ask you to leave." He gestured to the door. "Dear."

"No wait." Emma put her hands up in defense. "Really I do want to apologize. You were right. About the fairies. Well.. I think perhaps you judge them too harshly. But they aren't really human. You were right about that."

The dark shadow still remained on his face while he took her in. "Yes. Of course I was." He waited looking at her. "Your point?"

"I still owe you a favor."

"I don't need your charity Miss Swan." He grimaced.

"Oooh?" Emma took another step towards him. "So if I told you that I was prepared to break down the town line... today. You wouldn't be interested?" Emma shook her head playfully. "At all?"

"What's going on?" Gold's eyes darken with anger and confusion. "Is this a trap? Did the fairies send you? Tell them all to go to-" He stopped short. His mouth open in surprise. A purple light glittered across his face and reflected in his eyes.

Emma had gently waved her finger through the air leaving a stream of purple light behind. She took her hands and held them up and then stretched out all her fingers. The bright purple light followed suit and spread out thin through the air creating a glowing sparkling wall between Gold and Emma. "The fairies have been helpful. But not totally. Because I realized that they are governed by different rules. They lack what is necessary to make you human. Passion." With that she took her finger and popped the thin wall between them. "You see sometimes we think we are monsters. Because we let our emotions get the best of us. But what we miss seeing is that these emotions are in fact, the very thing that makes us human." As she talked she waved her hands back and forth gracefully. Playing with the purple glow as if it were a cloud of liquid dough. "And it are these emotions that drive us. Drive us to ridiculous lengths. Simply because we care. Because we cannot exist without the things that make our hearts beat. When I was in the other world I would of done anything to find a way back. And I did.. Do you know why?" Emma leveled her eyes at Gold. Looking at him with intensity. He had closed his mouth and he had a very solemn and serious expression of understanding.

"Why don't you tell me, Emma?" His voice was dry.

"Henry. I would do anything to get back to my son."

Gold nodded furiously blinking his eyes and cleared his throat looking at the ground. "Who told you?" His voice was thick and he raised his eyes to look at her in wary curiosity.

"I met a fairy with a big mouth."

"Ah."

"See? They aren't all bad" Emma teased waving her arms wide.

"Well..." He crossed his arms.

"So do you want to go or not?!" Emma gestured towards the door.

Gold nodded. He grabbed a suit case by the door that by the looks of it had been sitting there for weeks waiting. Then without hesitation he followed her out at full speed. "Nice leg." Emma dryly commented over her shoulder. Gold just rolled his eyes.

When they stepped outside to where the car was, Emma noticed that Belle had in fact moved to the back next to Henry. At the sight of all this, Gold stopped short in surprise. "Eh... Company?" Emma said hopefully. Hoping she had not made a mistake picking up the librarian along the way.

"She.. wants to come?" He asked uncertainly.

Emma shrugged. "Yeah. I mean she's not tied up in there."

Gold turned and gave her a very serious look.

"Whoa. That was a joke." Emma replied walking around to the drivers seat and gesturing towards the passenger side. "Now get in Romeo."

The drive to the town line was a bit awkward and the conversations stilted. Each of them perhaps feeling a bit confused as to what exactly would happen once they got there.

"I say we wait till night." Gold kept insisting. "It will be easier to get past the guards. Your stupid father has the whole town line guarded."

"Hey don't call my grandpa stupid!" Henry called out from the backseat.

"Yeah don't call my father stupid." Emma said playfully. Strangely this was the best mood she'd been in... in weeks.

Gold just grumbled.

"Don't worry I've got a plan." Emma said as they pulled up to the town line where several townspeople were standing guard.

Gold raised his eyebrows.. "And...?"

"Have you ever seen Star Wars?" Emma smiled and got out of the car. The rest of them followed behind her.

"Hey! No one is allowed across the town line!" A gentlemen in a denim jacket came walking over.

"Ah Yes. Of course. I'm Sheriff." Emma stated with confidence walking up to them.

"Ohh.." They all stepped back realizing it was her. "Shouldn't you be locked up with those fairies?"

"Uhh... noooo..." Emma frowned. Then she waved her finger gently through the air swaying it lightly toward each of them. Three in total. The long ribbon of purple light swung and radiated around each of them in turn. "No. See. I'm here to simply relieve you of your duties. You can all head home now."

They all stopped and stared at her for a minute and Emma bit her tongue worried it didn't work. Ready to grab Henry and run if it didn't. But she let out a sigh of relief when they all shook their heads and said. "Oh... right. Yeah. Great. Thank you. Good day Sheriff!"

And off they all went. Emma turned cheekily towards Gold and winked. "Ol' Jedi mind trick."

"Very clever. Don't let that go to your head."

So then they were alone and the four of them stood there at the invisible barrier. Emma walked up to it. She sighed and breathed deep. She held out her hands in front of her and paused for a minute. It almost seemed like nothing was going to happen then suddenly a purple light lit up from her finger tips and started spreading. Spreading in a thin glowly wall in front of her. Till the invisible barrier was not so invisible anymore. Somewhere behind Emma, Henry gasped and Belle reached out and grabbed Gold's hand. For a second Emma thought her confidence would leave her. She hesitated then closed her eyes and focused. Gently she twisted her hands in a circle continuously. The barrier twisted like a tornado. Twisting till there was nothing there. Leaving a large hole in the purple glowing wall. Large enough for a whole car.

Emma turned to face her companions. "Every body get in!" And gestured towards the car. Belle and Henry didn't hesitate. But Gold did. He looked incredibly alarmed.

"What?! All of us?!" He turned on Emma.

"Yeah." She nodded. "All of us. Get in."

"No." He shook his head. "This is my journey. I won't allow it." His face was very stern.

"Hey!" Emma cried out and gestured towards the barrier. "This won't last all day. You want to leave town? You want to find your son? THIS. This is how it's happening. Deal with it." She raised her eyebrows at him.

Gold looked bewildered. He looked at the barrier. Then back at the car. Belle waved happily at him. Henry just gaped at him. Gold turned back to Emma. "Not the boy."

"Nope. Package deal. The kid goes where I go. I think you can understand." She again raised her eyebrows knowingly at him.

"Then just myself and Belle." He countered shaking his head desperately.

"Hey! Seriously?! After everything we've been through?" Emma pulled a pretend hurt face on him. She pushed him towards to the car. "Get in the car Oh. Dark One! I can't hold this opening forever!" At that Emma swung herself into the drivers seat and eyed him. At last Gold got in the passengers seat holding his suitcase on his lap like a lost little boy himself. Belle reached her hand forward and patted him on the shoulder. "Here we go!" Emma said quietly. Then the yellow bug skidded forward and through the opening in the barrier.

Five seconds passed and no one said anything. "Everyone remember who they?" Emma called out inside the car.

"I'm Henry!" Henry called back.

"Henry you weren't in danger of forgetting that." Emma responded with a smile. "Gold? Belle?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. I remember." Belle replied sweetly.

Gold was quiet. Emma looked at him in concern. "Hey.. Gold. Memories intact?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah.. " He replied slowly. "But please dear. It's Rumpelstilskin." He gave her pained and sarcastic expression. "Since we're all so close now." He looked awkwardly around the small space of the car. Belle tilted her head to look at him and smiled. Henry had busied himself looking out the back window. Where the barrier was closing in on itself again and the purple light fading.

"What about everyone else? Grandma? Grandpa? My horse? My other... mother? We just left them?" Henry's voice sounded small and concerned.

"Hey kid! Don't worry! They'll be safe. Plus we'll be back. Though honestly... I don't know where we'll put that fifth person." Emma said looking playfully around the small car. "Honestly I've never even had THIS many people in here before." She grinned to herself. "So.." She nudged Rumpelstilskin. "Where to?"

Rumpelstilskin sighed. He took her fingers and rubbed his eyes. "Honestly. I don't really know." He turned and gave her an exasperated look.

Emma cocked her head to side and gave him a real smile at this. "And you almost didn't want me to come..." She teased. "Because luckily for you.. finding people is my specialty."

"Ahh... of course." He nodded dryly.

"I've never been on a road trip before." Belle finally pipped up in the back. "I'm really excited!"

Emma grinned back at her and then let her eyes shift to look at Rumpelstilskin who while his eyes were on the road.. his mouth was finally twisted into a real genuine warm smile.

The. End. ... (but really more of a beginning..)

AN: Okay I know how horrible of me to end it here. I just really needed to bring it to a close for the moment. If I have time in the future.. maybe I'll continue it. A fun road trip story with these four unlikely companions? Maybe they find Bae. Maybe they find Henry's father. Maybe they find.. someone else? Anyhow.. thanks so much for reading! I found this a super fun creative exercise. :)


	9. Chapter 9

Hello.. For anyone following this story.. if you are interested I am starting to write the sequel it's called On The Other Side ( s/8872171/1/On-The-Other-Side)

It picks up a few days after this one ends... and continues to explore the effects of magic on Emma while on the search for a certain someone's son

I'm excited to continue and explore this story.. it will literally be a trip :) haha.. so come along for the ride!


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